Spring stabilizer



Nov. 6, 1962 R. H. LEE ETAL SPRING STABILIZER Filed Sept. 17. 1959INVENTORS, fa mad/916e,

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ffldj f 3,062,243 SPRING STABEIZER Raymond H. Lee and Perry A. Lee, bothof 404 S. Gossett St., Anderson, S.C. Filed Sept. 17, 1959, Ser. No.840,762 1 Claim. (Cl. 139270) The present invention relates to a loom,and more particularly to an improved filling feeler for such a 100m.

This invention is an improvement over the filling feeler shown anddescribed in our prior Patent 2,705,026.

This invention has as an object the provision of a means for stabilizingthe filling feeler so as to cause the filling feeler to operate moreefi'lciently or satisfactorily.

This invention has as a further object the provision of an improvedfilling feeler which will prevent injury to the yarn and wherein a meansis provided for stabilizing the actuating rod so as to insure that thedevice will operate in a highly advantageous and satisfactory manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a filling feelerwhich is simple in construction, easy to adjust, easy to operate, welladapted for its intended purposes, and relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, and install.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view illustrating certain constructional details of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view showing the spring which is mounted on theactuating rod.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken at right angles to the view shown in FIGURE 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral indicates a portion ofa conventional shuttle which has thereon the usual bobbin 11. Thenumeral 12 indicates yarn or filling on the bobbin 11, and there is alsoprovided a slot or cutout portion 14 in the shuttle 10, as shown in thedrawings, and as shown in our prior Patent 2,705,026.

The numeral 15 indicates the case or feeler housing having a slot 16 andthe numeral 17 indicates the filling feeler which embodies the shank 18as well as a feeler tip 19 on one end thereof, and the tip 19 is adaptedto engage the yarn or bobbin in the shuttle 10, there being atransversely arranged arm 20 on the inner end of the shank 18. Thenumeral 21 indicates a coil spring which has one end connected to thearm 20, and the other end of the coil spring 21 is anchored to thehousing 15, as at 22. The numeral 23 indicates a stop shoulder in thehousing 15 for engagement with the end of the arm 20, and the numeral 24indicates an actuating rod or wire which has a portion thereof arrangedat right angles with respect to the shank 18.

According to the present invention there is provided a bracket 25 whichincludes a main body portion 26 which is afiixed to the housing 15 as at27. The outer end of the bracket 25 includes a right angularly arrangedflange 28 provided with an aperture 29 therein, and the rod 24 extendsthrough the aperture 29 in the flange 28. The numeral 30 indicates acollar which is mounted on the rod 24, and a coil spring 31 iscircumposed on the rod 24, the coil spring being interposed between thebushing 30 and the flange 28.

The collar 30 is adjustable on the rod 24 so that the tension from thespring 31 can be varied or regulated as desired. Thus, a securingelement such as a set screw 32 extends through the collar 30 and engagesthe rod 24,

3,062,243 Fatented Nov. 6, 1962 so that by loosening the set screw 32,the collar 30 can be moved to any desired position on the rod 24, so asto provide a means for varying or regulating the tension of the spring31. After the collar 30 has been moved to the desired location, theelement 32 is tightened so as to maintain the parts immobile in theirdesired positions.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided afilling feeler which is an improvement over the filling feeler shown anddescribed in our prior Patent 2,705,026. It is to be noted that thefeeler tip is arranged so that when there is sufiicient material 12 onthe bobbin 11, the material 12 strikes the feeler tip 19 so that the rod24 will not be moved but when the supply 12 becomes substantiallyexhausted, the tip 19 will be struck by the bobbin 11 and will slidealong the bobbin to move the rod 24 and this movement of the rod 24serves to start the operation of the bobbin changing mechanism in orderto control the filling replenishing mechanism of the loom.

The bobbin can be changed even before the yarn has become completelyexhausted and when there is yarn 12 on the bobbin 11, the feeler tip 19causes the feeler 17 to push back the casing 15 in such a manner as toprevent the filling feeler from engaging the rod 24 to set the replenishmechanism in motion. When all of the filling 12 is exhausted from thebobbin 11, the feeler will Work in the same manner as conventionalfeelers so that the tip 19 can slide on the empty bobbin.

It is to be understood that the present invention embodies or includes astabilizing of the actuating rod 24 as well as the lifting lever. In theimproved filling feeler of the present invention there is provided ametal strap or bracket 25 as Well as the collar 30 and the spring 31 andthe purpose of these members is to stabilize the filling feeler whichshould be driven straight back by the bobbin until the yarn isexhausted, but allowing the side motion of the feeler to engage theactuating rods so as to cause the filling motion to function.

In our prior Patent 2,705,026 the feeler is held rigid and the bobbinoccasionally moves slightly sideways so as to injure the yarn. Theimproved feeler attachment of the present invention will allow theslight side movement without injuring the yarn and it is also lessexpensive because the entire feeler on most looms can be used by addingthe stabilizing attachment only and this would be much less costly tothe purchaser.

As the tip 19 strikes the quill or member 11, then on forward movementof the shuttle 10, the feeler tip 19 Will engage the filling on thebobbin and if the bobbin moves slightly in the shuttle, as has beenobserved in the past, the tip 19 will move slightly in the directionaway from the rod 24, free of compressive forces of the spring 31,without damaging the filling, and will be permitted to move in thelateral direction toward the rod 24 against the compressive forces ofthe spring 31.

The force of the spring 31 is easily adjusted by shifting the collar 30so that the feeler tip can shift slightly laterally in each directionwith the bobbin, but upon exhausting of the bobbin the tip will slidelaterally on the bobbin bare portion to actuate the rod to the bobbinchange mechanism so as to automatically kick-out the empty bobbin andreplace it with a full bobbin. Heretofore with the old styleconventional device, when the bobbin was kicked-out by the fillingmechanism, often too much material remained on the bobbin which iswasteful but the present invention will overcome this disadvantage.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice ifdesired.

We claim:

In a loom feeler mechanism including a case mounted for movement towardand away from a shuttle when said shuttle is in the loom shuttle box, afilling feeler having a shank projecting loosely through one wall ofsaid case, said shank having a tip on the end externally of said caseadapted to engage the filling on a bobbin in said shuttle responsive tomovement of said case toward said shuttle, and a shuttle replenishingmechanism actuating rod extending slidably into said case, said rodhaving said one end abuttingly engagable by said feeler shank responsiveto lateral movement in one direction of said shank upon slippage of saidtip along a bare portion of said bobbin when engaged, the improvementconsisting in a spring oircumposed about the portion of said rodadjacent to and exteriorly of said case and connected to said case so asto bias said rod into engagement of said rod end with the portion ofsaid shank within said casing whereby said shank portion is laterallymovable in said one direction against the compressive forces of saidspring and is 4 laterally movable in the other direction free ofcompressive forces of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,396,669 Snow Nov. 8, 1921 1,620,601 Gagnon Mar. 8, 1927 1,724,257Chev-rette Aug. 13, 1929 1,817,164 Nelson Aug. 4, 1931 2,353,540 BensonJuly 11, 1944 2,556,562 Taylor June 12, 1951 2,705,026 Lee et a1 Mar.29, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,036,528 France Apr. 22,1953 899,930 GermanyDec. 17, 1953

